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UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi visits Bern

Press release, 20.12.2018

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi paid a visit to Bern on 20 December 2018. He held talks with Federal Councillors Ignazio Cassis and Simonetta Sommaruga, and met with President of the National Council Marina Carobbio Guscetti.

During his meeting with Mr Cassis, the head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), the talks focused on cooperation between Switzerland and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Global Compact on Refugies and Syrian refugees.

Ms Sommaruga addressed the precarious situation in Libya and the Middle East during her talks with Mr Grandi, and thanked the UNHCR for its engagement in this region. She also informed Mr Grandi of the Federal Council's decision for Switzerland to take in a group of 800 particularly vulnerable refugees in 2019. In addition, the Federal Council will continue its resettlement efforts and consult the responsible parliamentary committees in order to develop a plan of action in this area.

Mr Grandi also met with the president of the National Council, Ms Carobbio Guscetti, during his visit to Bern.

The UNHCR is Swiss Humanitarian Aid's third largest partner. In 2018, Switzerland provided CHF 35 million to support the UNHCR's work. Also 31 members of the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit are deployed to the UNHCR, in particular for missions concerned with protection or water. The UNHCR is the UN's largest agency and has its head office in Geneva. It supports and advocates in particular for refugees, internally displaced persons and stateless people – which is around 80 million people all over the world.